Stalin refutes Jaya's charges on death of official

Chennai, Feb 12: Tamil Nadu Local Administration Minister M K Stalin today refuted AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa's charge that his proposed visit to Dharmapuri district was a cause for the alleged suicide of a government official.

Dismissing her charge as a ''lie,'' he said the AIADMK supremo's demand for his resignation as and that of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi owning moral responsibility for the incident only showed her ''hunger for power''.

Ms Jayalalithaa had alleged that Assistant Director of Panchayats, Govindasamy, had allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself after he was forced by the District Collector to bear the entire expenditure for Mr Stalin's visit.

Referring to the detailed statement issued by the District Collector that he had not convened any meeting on February ten to discuss the proposed visit and forced the official to meet the expenditure, Mr Stalin said the Collector had also announced legal steps would be initiated against people concerned for spreading 'false information.' He said Mr Govindasamy had only mentioned in his suicide note about his physical condition and office works. Nowhere in the note the official had written about his proposed visit and that he was forced to bear the expenses, the Mr Stalin said.

UNI